As the municipal assistant and coordinator for the cell tower project for the town of Whitingham I would like to clarify that the cell towers slated for construction in our area will not actually be providing cellular telephone service. These towers are being built to provide broadband Internet to rural residents.

The builder of the towers can’t force the cell phone companies to offer coverage. It is up to us, the local consumers, to let our providers know that we are unhappy with the cell phone coverage in southern Vermont. If we all bombard them with requests the companies are likely to listen.

To contact customer service: Verizon Wireless and AT&T users, dial *611 from your phone when you are in a service area. Sprint users, dial *2 from your phone when you are in a service area. US Cellular, users dial 1-888-944-9400.

If every person who lives, works or plays in southern Vermont would contact their provider it will increase the possibility that one or more providers will populate the tower with their equipment.